DORCHESTER COUNTY SHERIFF'S OFFICE South Carolina

To Protect and to Serve

If you see the person or any abductor or vehicle described in these alerts -

CALL 911 IMMEDIATELY!

Be prepared to give the dispatcher your location, direction of travel and the description of any person or vehicles associated with the sighting of the missing person.

What is Amber Alert?

The AMBER Alert Program, named for 9-year-old Amber Hagerman, is a voluntary partnership between law-enforcement agencies, broadcasters and transportation agencies to activate an urgent bulletin in the most serious child-abduction cases. Broadcasters use the Emergency Alert System (EAS) to air a description of the abducted child and suspected abductor. This is the same concept used during severe weather emergencies. "The goal of an AMBER Alert is to instantly galvanize the entire community to assist in the search for and the safe recovery of the child.

In order to activate an Amber Alert, three criteria need to be met.

1. law enforcement confirms a child has been abducted2. law enforcement believes the circumstances surrounding the abduction indicate that the child is in danger of serious bodily harm or death3. there is enough descriptive information about the child, abductor, and/or suspect's vehicle to believe an immediate broadcast alert will help

If these criteria are met, alert information must be put together for public distribution. This information can include descriptions and pictures of the missing child, the suspected abductor, a suspected vehicle and any other information available and valuable to identify the child and suspect.